Selling a house seems like an easy thing to do. Call the maid in to clean it up and then post a sign up front. As hot as the market is now, homes in most areas even sell pretty quick. This does not mean that most home owners couldn’t have sold their house for even more money.
If you want to make sure that you get the max sale price, here are some easy things that you should do.
1. Time Your Sale
Probably the most important thing of all is putting your home on the market at the right time. Sure, your particular situation could dictate the selling time but if you can wait until the market is the hottest, you could make thousands more on the sale.
Generally speaking, late spring and early summer is the best time to sell a home. Specifically, the first two weeks of May according to Zillow.
As the weather begins to warm up, people start looking for houses. From a family perspective, this is also the best time to move a family. School is out and if they start shopping in May, they can get in their new home before the next school year starts. As a parent, this is very important.
2. Paint Your Home
New paint makes a home look well kept. There is nothing worse than cracked or peeling paint on an exterior. Inside, old paint will probably have smudges and stains on it and will make your home look dirty no mater how clean you get it.
Another advantage of painting your home is that it allows you to undo any personalization that you have one. You can cover up any bold colors that you might have liked but that can turn off other buyers. It allows you to appeal to the biggest pool of people. Plus, as you take down pictures and other personal decorations, you can seal up nail holes that could detract.
So, if you want the most money, spend some time or money and get that house painted.
3. Touch Up That Landscaping
There are a lot of ways that you can go with this.
At the minimum, you should cut the lawn and clean up the flower beds. Make sure that there are no weeds in the beds and add a layer of fresh mulch.
If your yard has seen better days, you might need to start from scratch in a few areas. If you are handy, you can buy a sizable tree or two for under $50 a piece. Likewise, bushes and flowers are cheap.
If you are not sure where to begin, simply take a picture of your yard, front and back and take it to a home improvement store. The people who work in the garden section usually do so because they have a green thumb They should be able to help you come up with a plan.
Landscaping is one of the most cost effective ways you can increase your home value. Just a little money now will give you a huge return.
4. Get Rid Of Clutter
Want to make your home look small, keep all of your junk in it. Declutter your home and make it look hundreds of square feet larger. Keep in mind, people are touring your home, envisioning how they would live in it. If it looks small, they aren’t going to bite.
If your living room is loaded with furniture, get rid of some of it. A couch, chair and maybe a few end tables is all that you need.
Bedrooms are another area that seldom get attention but should. Get that treadmill out of there and open up the walkways. Make sure that there is plenty of space to move. Have a 7 piece bedroom set? Get rid of a few of the pieces and make that space seem more expansive.
Finally, the closets. They are probably crammed full of clothes and boxes. Move out at least half of your clothing. People should see empty closet rods so they think that they will have plenty of space. If it looks like your stuff doesn’t fit a closet, they will have a hard time seeing their stuff fit in it.
All of this decluttering can be had for the low cost of a 100 dollar storage locker. Well worth the money.
5. Clean Your Floors
It is amazing how people will pay for a house cleaning but pay so little attention to their floors. You need to get those floors cleaned, professionally. Don’t even think about heading to get that rug doctor. You stand to make thousands by getting that flooring cleaned, so do not cheap out. Spend $600 now on cleaning and make back four times that amount.
Start with the carpet and have it thoroughly steam cleaned. Don’t settle for anything less than truck mounted steam cleaning. It will not only make your carpet look great but smell great as well.
Next, if you have ceramic tile, take a good look at those grout lines. Are they the same color that they were when the floor was installed? If not, have the grout steam cleaned as well.
Plan your floor cleaning for just a few days before your home goes on the market. You want it to be as clean as possible when the home is being viewed. Don’t worry about having it done before pictures, they can touch them up.
6. Stage Your Home
A little staging goes a long way. If you can not figure it out, consider hiring a professional.
A good staging job will make your home seem bigger and make it appear to flow better. Nobody wants to buy a home with a clumsy design.
When staging, your goal should be to have wide open spaces, clear walk ways and symmetry. Try not to have any personal touches, you want people to see themselves in your home, not your family.